Medical guidewires are used in numerous catheterization procedures as an aid to placement of a catheter and/or prosthesis at a selected site within a body lumen. Among the more common uses of guidewire is in the catheterization of blood vessels for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
Guidewires may be extremely slender, in the order of 0.25 to 0.89 mm (0.010 to 0.035 inches) in diameter. The guidewire lumen in the catheter has a diameter slightly greater than the guidewire. Cannulating the guidewire lumen of the catheter with a guidewire is often difficult due to the small dimension of the guidewire, the small dimension of the guidewire entry port, and the relatively delicate nature of these components. Inserting the guidewire into the guidewire lumen may be as difficult as threading a needle. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a tool to assist in the insertion of a guidewire into a catheter.